London Day Eight
Perhaps HE rested on Sunday, but we didn’t. Up early and into the office to work work work. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds, but we put in a full day of this and that, tying up loose ends and getting our project off to a successful start.
It worked. Thank goodness it worked.
After eating at Pizza Express again for lunch, we were told Canary Wharf was something to see, so we got on the Northern line, transferred to the Jubilee, and exited at Canary Wharf.
Um, honestly, it wasn’t much. So we walked out of the area and basically trespassed into some residential areas to get a better view of the Millennium Dome.
Through some beautiful condos and apartment complexes, we were able to get on the water directly across from the dome, which looks more like a construction site than anything else.
History says that the wharf was originally one of the busiest ports in the world, employing up to 50,000. During WWII the docks were pretty much destroyed, and as far as I know it never really recovered.
Now it’s home to several major skyscrapers and more are on their way. With such a demand for new office space in London without destroying much of the historic areas, the wharf seemed to become fit the bill nicely.
Under the Maggie Thatcher regime, the wheels were set into motion and the Canary Wharf began to take shape. Now it looks like a very urban downtown section. Sort of a slice of Manhattan on the water, with small sections of river meandering through it. There’s tons of shops and lots of tall buildings, but avoid the area if you visit. It’s just boring.
Plus there was no good place to eat late on Sunday. So back on the tube to Leicester Square (pronounced Lester Square) we went because Karin had a taste for something from Chinatown.
A block from the tube stop she spied a menu that looked tasty. We popped in and sat and waited for what seemed forever to order. But it was worth the wait.
We started with hot and sour soup, which began very sour but as we ate it, and our palettes mellowed out, it was just right. Karin ordered red-cooked slow roasted pork with taro. I ordered crispy beef with chili sauce, Szechuan style.
Both were delicious. The pork was fatback, and had been roasted so long that the fat was smooth and spreadable, barely attached to soft meat that was flavorful with just a hint of anise. The taro was soft and delicious.
My crispy beef was crispy and full of chili flavor, but definitely not Szechuan in heat level. Not spicy. More sweet and candied with veggies. All in all delicious, and we had a plate of sweet oranges for dessert.
Another day of work, good eating, and some sights.